These are scary times in South Africa...

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JANUARY 29: Former Bosasa Chief Operations Officer (COO) Angelo Agrizzi testifies at the commission of inquiry into state capture on January 29, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. On his last day testimony, Agrizzi admitted he is a racist, but denied that his evidence is motivated by racism. (Photo by Gallo Images / Netwerk24 / Felix Dlangamandla)

Angelo Agrizzi, on Friday, made his eleventh appearance before the Zondo commission, a record count for any witness that has been called to the hot seat thus far.

It seems, though, that this will be a crucial part of the inquiry, which is expected to run for a period of two years.

For the most part, Agrizzi’s testimony has uncovered the other side of government that operates in darker, dingy corridors.

Angelo Agrizzi tells all once again

On Friday, the former chief operations officer (COO) of Bosasa (now trading as African Global Operations), sat down before Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo to continue giving evidence about his first-hand experience with a corrupt South African government.

On the back of a report by the special investigative unit (SIU) that found traces of evidence that suggested that there was a corrupt link between Bosasa and the government contracts they seemingly always won, Smith, who, at the time was the chairperson of the justice and correctional services portfolio committee, was seen as “a problematic MP” by Watson.

However, the rot ran deeper than that. Frolick, according to the former COO, received a monthly payment of R40 000, and he, yet again, placed himself as an eye witness to one account where the money was stored in a grey security bag and shoved in the House chairperson’s pocket.

Agrizzi maintained, though, that Smith was a thorn on Bosasa’s flesh. He kept asking questions about the facilities management company.

He tried valiantly, according to Agrizzi, to counter and expose the company’s illegal activities but Frolick was there to deflect all attacks.

He also recalled a time when he was allegedly instructed by Watson to go hand over a package to his brother, Valence Watson, in Port Elizabeth. The package was to be handed over to Frolick by the CEO’s brother, Agrizzi claimed.

He also recalled another occasion when he and Gibson Njenje, the former director-general of the national intelligence agency (NIA), were sent to a meeting in Parliament, Cape Town, with a highly irritable Smith. Agrizzi claimed the meeting “actually didn’t go well at all,”

However, the former COO would later claim that Smith was successfully turned, by either Frolick or other forces.

This, he said, was evident when, after he had recovered from a coma, he was assured, over the phone, by Watson that a case related to a shoddy contract with the department of correctional services came up. All parties, including Watson and Smith, agreed that the case ought to be thrown out.

Accommodating Minister Michael Masutha

Another shocking revelation Agrizzi made was the involvement of Michael Masutha, the minsiter of justice and correctional services, with the Watsons.

On one occasion, he testified, he was expected at a meeting between the Watson brothers and Masutha at their residence in Port Elizabeth but he never attended it.